Recessed game board and playing pieces therefor



y 1950 c. TWINING 2,506,184

RECESSED GAME BOARD AND PLAYING PIECES THEREFOR Filed April 21, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet l 14 M 1 g zj INVENTQR, MY/z'cenf 8274 22; 223

2,506,184 RECESSED GAME BOARD AND PLAYING PIECES THEREFOR Filed April 21, 1947 M. C. TWlNlNG May 2, 1950 3 sheets-sheet? I mmvroge,

g P W M M M zv y 2, 1950 M. c. TWlNlNG 2,506,184

RECESSED GAME BOARD AND PLAYING PIECES THEREFOR Filed April 21. 194'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 m n -v INVENTOR, M71108}? 2 6..21 1 2 22 z 1 Q/%ZZW Patented May 2, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BECESSED GAME BOARD AND PLAYING PIECES THEREFOR The object of the invention is to provide an improved game, that is especially designed for and takes into consideration the psychology of young children in their characteristic tendency to visualize and materialize their imaginative family and home-building creations, though the game is by no means limited to very young children, and in addition may be used with smaller children as a toy and to teach words from objects. Another object is to provide in such a game a move-indicating means, such as a spinner or the like, having spaces characterized by pictorial representations of the elements that comprise an average family and comfortable home, as for example a father, mother, sister, brother, maid, one or more pets, house, garage, automobile and others, as may be desired.

A further object is to provide an improved spinner, that can be used in playing the game, comprising a card or other surface bearing circumferentially arranged spaces separated by preferably radially extending boundary lines between such spaces, and a spinner element having a single pointed arm extending in one direction,

' while its oppositely extending arm is branched to provide a plurality of relatively pointed terminals, so that if the single pointed end stops upon a dividing line between two adjacent spaces, the oppositely directed subdivided terminals will point to two (or more) spaces, thereby insuring a player a chance to move or to place one or more player pieces regardless of the position of the single pointed end.

Still another object is to provide in such a game an object, such as a house, garage, etc., that article in question, such that the lowermost or foundation section must be "played and positioned first before the body, roof and chimney (if present) can be assembled upon said foundation in their proper sequence.

A still further object is to provide in such a combination aligned, polygonal apertures extend ing through the house sections and of such cross section as to receive the chimney piece when extending therethrough, in order to properly align and prevent relative lateral movement or -displacement of one section with respect to one or more of the other sections.

And a still further object is to provide a playing board, having recesses to determine the positions of and receive at least some of the playing elements, such as house and garage foundations, and aligned sections of fence.

With the objects thus generally stated, the invention comprises further details of construction and method of play, such as are hereinafter fully brought out in the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a playing board for use in the new game; Fig. 2 is a section onthe line A-A of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the four sections of a house element such as is used in the game, the several sections of which are shown in slightly spaced relation; Fig. 4 is a similar view of the house when assembled; Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views that correspond with Figs. 3 and 4, but instead represent'the sections of a garage both in separated and assembled relationship; Fig. 7 is a plan view of a spinner such as is used in the game; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of a slightly modified form of spinner; Fig. 10 is a player piece representing the father; Fig. 11, the mother; Fig. 12, the sister; Fig. 13, the brother; Fig. 14, the family cat; Fig. 15, the pet dog; Fig. 16, a bush or shrub; Fig. 17, a flag and its staff; Fig. 18, a tree; Fig. 19, an automobile; Fig. 20, a gate-containing section of fence; Fig. 21, an uninterrupted or uniform fence section; Fig. 22, the maid; Fig. 23, the little baby sister; Fig. 24, a dog kennel; Fig. 25, a second automobile, the player that comprises a fiat board I of convenient size,

and so printed, lithographed or otherwise decoratedand shaped, as toprovide recesses or depressions 2 and 3 adapted to receive and positively position house and garage pieces, respectively, while a narrow groove 4 extends about and slightly within the periphery of the edge of said board, to receive player pieces which together represent fence.

The house (Figs. 3 and 4) is preferably composed of a base section 5, a body section 5 and a roof section I, while the roof section is provided with a recess 8 in which a chimney piece is adapted to be inserted. The base section is intended to be played and placed in the recess 2 which it snugly fits, after which the body, roof and chimney sections are played in sequence and placed in the relative positions shown in Fig. 4. A modified form of house assembly is shown in Fig. 26, and comprises base, body and roof seooontaining and plain sections of fence I2 and .I3

are shown in Figs. and .21, and these when played are placed in .the groovel, with the .gate section in substantial alignment with the outer 'end portion of a walk and drive area [4, thearrangement of the house and garage depressions and-of said walk and drive being inaccordance with the preferences of the ..manufacturer.

One of the outstanding advantages of this new game is that fact that it can be played by very young children, once theyhave been taught the simple basic fundamentals. This isillustrated by that fact that-themove-indicating element (Figs. -7 and 8) comprisesaplane-base lfiofany desired shape upon which a spinner it is pivotally mounted, saidspinner carrying the customary two oppositely directed pointed ends 41 .and t8, while said base is also provided with circumferentially vposition-ed sectors 19, in which are reproduced the pictorial representations of the objects that are also represented by the respective player pieces.

Thus, while each of said isectors :contains the propeels spelled name of a player piece, :for older children whoa-re able to read, the pictorial representation of the particular piece .is ialsoincluded, so t-hat the young child learns to read the proper piece to Eplay by its corresponding picture in the space to which-oneof-the pointed ends H and I8 points. For example, the young child does not have to be able-toread the words flag, father, mother, etc.,-but upon seeing the-pictures. of the respectiwve objects ,plays the player piece resembling the corresponding object.

The modified form of spinner shown in .9 comprises a pivotally mountedelement :l B'having asingle-polntedend :l'l' an'din the-oposite direction double or subdivided pointed end :i 8--l8' so that instead of a player being unable to ,play when the pointed construction of. Fig. 7 stops upon a dividing line, he will still be able 'to-:e1ect between the pieces indicated by the double ends -l 8-lli when the end :I 7' stops upon such'a line. In this manner, if desired, :a disappointment of the child .player in notz'being able to, play when the ends H or VI 1 rest upon a dividing-line mightbe 1- turned into an advantage by permitting him to play both of the pieces indicated by the double points thus provided.

The player pieces represented by Figs. 10 to 19 inclusive are intended to be played in accordance with any predetermined set of rules, and in accordance with the indications made by the spinner, these player pieces being in addition to the house, garage and fence pieces first above referred to. The pieces shown in Figs. 22 to 25 are so-called bonus pieces and are played as they are won by the persons playing. While any desired set of rules may be used, a simple form of playing is as follows:

.-In a game 10f the particular construction, size and number of pieces here illustrated, before starting the game each player is given a playing board, nine .pieces of fence and one each of the player pieces (Figs. '3, 5, and 10 to 19). The "bonus pieces (Figs. 22 to 25) are placed to one side. Gnebf the players starts to the game and the others take their turns in any predetermined order, each "spinning the spinner and placing player pi'eces upon his board as indicated by the positions at which the :spinner element comes to .i'estusing one .or bothof the single spinnenpoints, .or all of them in the .caseof the .formshownin Fig. .9 being used, or of the .double pointed end, .if the single pointed end stops upona dividing line, as previously explained, all depending .upon

the .rules adopted. 0

.If the base of the house .is played, it is placed in the recess or depressionl, .but if-thebody =.or the roof is indicatedfirst, .it cannot be played until the one or .more lower sections have been played and properly positioned. The same holds true for the, garage. .Each player in his turnmay either play only once, or may continue to play until unable to play any of his pieces, before sur- :rendering the spinner to the next player. it will be noted that ineach sectoris the word (ora-representation) of fence. A ,pieceoffence is not played as long :as the object in the .same space can be played, butiis resorted to whenthepictorially represented objects have .already been played, or when for example the house or garage body section can not be played, due to thei-r base sections nothaving been :played.

As to the bonus pieces indicated by :the drawings, the first player toecompletethehouse automatically gets the maid (Fig. :22); the first to complete his garage gets the bonus car :(Fign25) the firstplayer tc-get the dog and the .cat upon his board gets theidoghouse (Fig. 24.) and the first player to rgetthe entire family of father, mother, sister and brother automatically .gets the :baby sister (Fig. 23') as a =bonuspiece. Of course, any such arrangement of rules is purely arbitrarypas :man-y variations in theirules may be made while '60 :using the same construction .of player pieces,

spinner illustrations with or Without the doublei ended spinner, etc., wherefore the .inventionis not limited I to the .rules above set forth, '-as the foregoing -is to be *consideredonly as illustrating :the

disc of theun'ovel player pieces, illustrated spinner and the like.

Having thus -described my invention, What I claim and desire-to, protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In game apparatus inwhich positioning of game piecesdepends upon operationzofa spinner or chance device, the apparatus comprising a board'a plurality of objects -=inrseparable sections constitutingrsaid game pieces meansronsaidboard .separably .interfitting with anoacting game piece 5 of one object, means on said board dissimilar to the first mentioned means separably interfitting with a coacting game piece of another object, whereby each of said coacting game pieces will interfit with one only of said means.

2. Game apparatus comprising a board having dissimilar first and second recesses, dissimilar game pieces interfitted in said recesses respectively, and game pieces respectively differing in shape and size from the first mentioned game pieces separ-ably superposed thereon and coacting therewith to represent different objects.

3. Game apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the two uppermost game pieces of one object are separably interfitted.

4. Game apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a game piece extends above the lowermost game piece of one object and through and above the remainder of the game pieces of the latter object.

5. Game apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said recesses are separated from each other, and means delineated on the board between the recesses representing a path connecting said obj ects.

MIILICENT C. TWINING.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 245,533 McChesney Aug. 9, 1881 296,783 Reed Apr. 15, 1884 343,516 Collins June 8, 1886 499,512 Brower June 13, 1893 609,347 Holzhausen Aug. 16, 1898 1,379,648 Niebel May 31, 1921 1,430,557 Jervis Oct. 3, 1922 1,505,010 Deen Aug. 12, 1924 1,953,631 Pritzkow Apr. 3, 1934 2,037,966 Dailey Apr. 21, 1936 2,133,515 Horton Oct. 18, 1938 2,290,669 Bowie July 21, 1942 2,310,686 Freer Feb. 9, 1943 2,430,120 Gikon Nov. 4, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 466,372 Great Britain May 27; 1937 

